EvilHippy.Com

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

I have a confession to make here.
I really, really like Louis L'Amour books. Like I like-like them. Not just like them.

To this point I've read about 45 of them.

I've bought about 95 of them.

I've started buying them in the simulated leather editions.

They're mostly the same book over and over again.

They're like Dean Koontz westerns, only lots and lots better than that.

Every book is basically a mostly silent, but well read cowpuncher or miner who has accidentally gotten himself a reputation as a gunman, or gets himself one through the course of the book, runs afoul of cattle/land rustlers or people out to steal his land/gold/woman, and must prevail over overwhelming odds, being shot and almost dying, a brutal bare-knuckle fight he can't possibly win, but sometimes does, to get the girl/land/gold in the end and lay low the badguys.

Every one the same.

You would be amazed at how many people reveal themselves to be L'Amour fans when they see you reading one of the books.

Invariably it is an older woman or man who will say, "I read all of those in the service," or "My husband doesn't read anything, but he's read all of those books," or "I really love the Sacketts."
I also really love the Sacketts.

I have a goal of reading all 85 or so novels L'Amour published, and the many, many short story collections as well.

Louis is not the greatest writer ever.

He was a pulp western author, paid by the word, and He wrote western romances on the whole, but I love the straightforward tales of men being men and philosopher cowboys.

Incidentally Sam Elliot starred in a lot of L'Amour adaptations, and his Cowboy from Big Lebowski would not be out of place in a L'Amour book.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

I fear for the future of TNA Wrestling. They've never really been the match for the WWF. They've been more successful than anyone else since WCW, but they've still never reached that next level.

They got a TV deal with Spike, they put out a video game, they signed Kurt Angle, Sting, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, Bobby Lashley, Christian and now they are bringing in Hulk Hogan.

Hogan was going to come in quite a while back, but he backed out when he came to his senses and realized he would be working for Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo, two guys who pretty much tried to humiliate him on his way out of WCW.

A few years passed. Jarrett sold the company, they got their TV deal, went to the six-sided ring, started taping at Universal Studios in Florida.

Then they managed to scoop up Kurt Angle when he hit some problems in the WWE. Then it started going downhill fast. They added a bunch of Vince's cast offs and started pushing them over the guys that they had made.

Yeah, AJ and Samoa Joe held titles, but it was Nash and Angle and Booker T and Sting that dominated.

Now word is that Hogan and Bischoff are going to be in charge.

Word is that they've told the guys to slow down their matches and work in more rest holds.

Word is that Hogan doesn't like the six-sided ring. Word is that Hogan doesn't like the writers and wants to let the wrestlers determine more of the program.

It's a good thing for him that pretty much everyone that was at WCW when it went down in flames is right there in TNA.

I miss the old TNA where a show would be headlined by Sonny Siaki v. AJ Styles for the X-division title, or Amazing Red v. anybody.

That TNA would never be able to compete with Vince on a 1 to 1 basis, but neither will the one that is coming.

Hogan is smart about the business, so are alot of the other older guys, but the business is about what is new and fresh.

I look for AJ Styles to lose the title soon, maybe to Sting, maybe to Ric Flair, maybe to Nash, maybe to Angle. He'll lose it though and then those guys will come in and dominate the top and the company will start to go down.

The ratings will probably be good for that first special, people will tune in to see Hogan for that first time.

Then they'll realize he's almost 60 and can still talk, but doesn't have much to say anymore.

Nobody really wants to see Ric Flair v. Hulk Hogan for the TNA championship. Maybe more people than want to see AJ Styles v. Samoa Joe for the same belt, but the people who will watch the first match won't stick around to see more either.

I wish TNA the best in their new direction, but I'm not optimistic about their chances.

At least I've still got a big stack of shows from the first year and really good memories, just like I do of ECW.

"Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen," Sen. Palpatine told reporters Tuesday.

"There are many on both sides of this grand debate eager to turn this dispute into war. It needn't degenerate into so wasteful an outcome. Together, we have the intelligence and the reason to find an alternative solution."

After his refusal to support a public option, Progressive Democrats expressed concerns that Sen. Palpatine's cuts to the legislation would further weaken the bill.

“I have the greatest confidence in Joe Palpatine's ability as a legislator. And he will work with us when this gets on the floor, and I'm sure he'll have some interesting things to do in the way of an amendment.”

Sen. Palpatine also addressed concerns he had strayed from his position in the 2000 Presidential Election.

"I think changing your mind can be a good thing. In 2000 my running mate, Al Gore and I, supported extending Medicare coverage to those 55 to 65. But things have changed in the subsequent 9 years. In 2000 we had a surplus. Now you can see we're totally screwed.

"Also, we didn't win."

Sen. Palpatine went on to express optimism in his newfound Republican alliances.

"It is with great reluctance that I have agreed to this calling. I love the Democrats. I love the Republicans. But I am mild by nature, and do not wish to see the destruction of democracy. The power you give me I will lay down when this crisis has abated. And as my first act with this new authority, I will create a Grand Army of the Republicans to counter the increasing threats of the Progressives.

"All the players are now in place. It is time to initiate the end moves. The plan of many long years shall bear fruit at last!"